Date

2-13-2026

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

Sharon Gordon Mullane

Keywords

Human trafficking, law enforcement, human trafficking training, Indiana law enforcement

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Human trafficking is a rapidly growing, pervasive issue that threatens the fundamental human rights of every man, woman, and child across the globe. Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative illicit organized crime businesses in the world, and as the fueled demand for cheap labor, services, and commercial sex continues to reach stifling rates, law enforcement organizations are desperately seeking to identify ways to effectively combat this critical issue. Today’s advanced technology and transport systems have enabled human traffickers to expand operations to every country, including the United States. Although every state in the United States is affected, reliable statistics are unavailable because the covertness of the crimes and victims lead to inaccurate and incomplete data. Law enforcement organizations urgently seek ways to combat human trafficking more effectively. Officer training includes comprehensive human trafficking courses that aim to equip officers with the skills they need. The problem is that more data are needed to evaluate training effectiveness. This qualitative study served to investigate officers’ perceptions of the efficacy of human trafficking training. Through interviews, the study assessed the amount and adequacy of training in complement with officers’ perceptions of their own effectiveness in combatting trafficking and recommended improvements. The results showed that training ranged from inadequate and stale to adequate at a basic level, that officers were divided in their feelings of personal preparedness to handle human trafficking cases, and that officers agreed that gender differences exist in the way male and female officers handle human trafficking cases.

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